Take A Break
by Akari78
Summary: Hawke decides to get a bit of a breather from the chaos of Kirkwall as she settles in her new status as Champion, and takes Isabela along with her. A nice relaxing time swimming in a Sundermount pool however, might take a bit more trouble to get there than either of them would think, but they plan on making the best of it nonetheless.


**Take A Break**

"Hawke," the pirate asked tiredly as they walked along a path rising up one of the sides of Sundermount, "Where are we going?"

"Up," simply responded the redhead rouge as the dirt path grew more and more steep, larger rocks laying in the way. The mountain fog clung firmly to the ground as they trekked along in the late evening. Isabela hadn't realized that when Terra had said she wanted to clear her head and get out of the city for a few days, she had truly meant out of the city. Despite the pirate offering to take her sailing for a few days on the new ship she'd gotten from Castillion, Hawke had refused and instead suggested they go on some adventure on land where she would be more certain of herself.

Now, maybe half way up the mountain in an unfamiliar location, far from where the Dalish elf clan resided, Isabela was more than regretting to agreeing with her. But when Hawke gave her a certain crooked smile and laugh, the Rivaini woman couldn't deny the butterflies it made her feel. Terra was nearly as much fun as she, so when the offer of getting away from it all had been made Isabela had foolishly thought she meant something more like heading to some other city in the Free Marches and living it up where fewer people knew their names.

Instead, she was hiking up an intolerable mountain for some reason that Hawke kept changing whenever she asked. "Do you even know where we're going?" She grew frustrated, her feet aching some over the tough terrain after already been walking since that morning at early dawn to make good time to the mountain.

"Of course I do," Hawke said with a laugh, looking over her shoulder to wink burning amber eyes at her lover.

Rolling her eyes, Isabela picked up her pace so as to walk along side Hawke instead of a pace or two behind. "Oh? And where would that be?"

"I was talking with Merrill a few days ago down at her place," Hawke started to explain, "when she started to tell me about Sundermount. I know we've most only gone to the Dalish Camp, so when she told me about a gorgeous pond about half-way up, I thought it would be fun to visit."

Skepticism grew across Isabela's face. "You mean to say you're making me hike up the most haunted mountain in all of Thedas," she huffed, "for a puddle of water?"

"Hey," defensively replied Hawke, looking at the dark skinned pirate besides her with mock hurt, "it's big for a pond! Deep too, so perhaps pond isn't the right term for it. Watering hole? No, sounds too much like a tavern." Mused Hawke, Isabela rolling her eyes as the great Champion of Kirkwall went on about different names to call it before settling on the right one. "Pool! There we are!" Smiling, Terra nodded her head, "I'm taking you to go to the pool."

Shaking her head with a smirk, Isabela kept on hiking besides her as the path started to flatten a bit, curving around a bend of large rocks. "So, we're going swimming? Couldn't we have just done that back in Kirkwall or down by the coast?" She asked, eyes fluttering around to the gloomy stones that were covered in moss.

"Do you want to swim in that water?" Deadpanned Hawke, Isabela thinking on it for a moment before she conceded with a begrudging nod. "Exactly."

"Do I at least get to see you naked?" Isabela inquired with a flirty laugh.

Laughing at Isabela's question, Hawke winked at her, "Is there any other way to go swimming?"

Smiling back with a sultry tone, Isabela intertwined their fingers together, "I suppose not, no."

Suddenly finding herself interested in the small diversion once more, Isabela allowed Hawke to lead her up the path further. Terra would on occasion pull out a map Merrill had made for her, checking if they were headed the right way before nodding her head to assure her companion that they in fact were. Hawke had a rather bad talent for getting lost, and Isabela was certain if it weren't for her skill with navigation to correct Terra; Hawke would have led them down the wrong way several times over on their travels.

Eventually they came up to a dense wood of dead trees that grew up along the arching grey rocks of the mountainside, branches twisting and curling around each other until they blotted out what was left of the sun. They stared at it for a few moments, blinking and taking in the foreboding dead forest. The fog seemed almost to emanate from within the trees, thicker clouds wrapping themselves around the trunks of burnt black bark.

"Let me guess, we're going to go in there," sighed Isabela.

Smiling at her with enthusiasm, Hawke shrugged. "What? Not up for a little bit of fun before our relaxing swim?" She teased.

"I am, and there better be some damn good sex for all this walking later, but do we really have to go through the creepy woods?" Responded Isabela with a huff, releasing her hold on Hawke's hand to cross her arms and jut out a hip.

Sighing, the Champion pulled the map out once more and showed it to her companion. "Yes, I'm afraid so. There are nothing but cliffs around the pool aside from this wood." Isabela looked from the continually folded and unfolded piece of parchment to the pale skinned archer in front of her. The redhead's hair was pulled back, leaving most of her face exposed save for a few strands that broke free of the ponytail. Four blocks of varying sizes ran down each side of her face, forehead to chin, and while Isabela would never ask why she had the tattoos, the Rivaini didn't deny they looked good on Hawke.

"You're lucky you're so good looking," she growled, trying to still be frustrated when she was starting moreover to feel nervous. Sundermount was renowned for its haunted happenings after all, especially when non-elves stumbled across sacred lands. "You're certain the pond is through there?"

"Yes, absolutely," assured Terra.

"Fine, let's just go, maybe we can get through before it's totally dark." She could already tell she was going to regret this.

Flashing a confident smile once more, Hawke started to lead the way down a slightly used path toward the foreboding forest, Isabela right behind her. While it was already fairly dark, the sun having just set, there was a whole different type of shadow in the burnt wood. As they delved deeper within, her skin started to crawl with a sensation that she was being watched. Hawke strode a bit ahead of her, just within arm's reach, but she didn't seem the slightest bit discouraged from the trees around them. Though certainly she wasn't going to say it, Isabela didn't like walking through the dark brambles.

She preferred the open sea where the sky and the waters were hers, in that wood she couldn't even see the stars as they began to shine above her. "Hawke," she called out, keeping her voice level, "how far in is the pool?"

"It's not in the forest at all," Hawke replied, "it's on the other side."

"Hawke!" Complained Isabela, hands balling into fists.

"What? It'll be worth it I promise!" Said Hawke with annoyance herself.

"You're so going to owe me for this," threatened the pirate, Hawke holding her hands up in defeat. "Do you have a lantern? Something? I can hardly see where I'm walking," Isabela dramatically complained, nearly stumbling over a tree root in the process.

With a faint sigh, Hawke rummaged through the pockets of her armor before she pulled out a small torch stick. She rubbed the palm of her other hand over the end a few times, until it started to glow a bright blue color that basked the two of them and a good three feet around them in a cool light. "How did you do that?" Isabela questioned, one eyebrow arched quizzically.

"Sandal," simply said Terra with a shrug.

Taking it as it was, Isabela shrugged and walked along side the Champion of Kirkwall as they tried to get through the woods. There was simply something off about the place though, perhaps it was the lack of any sound beyond them in the woods or the fog that obscured the ground beneath them quite expertly. Either way, the Rivaini found herself looking around them cautiously as they progressed. She'd learned to listen to her senses a long time ago, and every bit of them were telling her to turn the other way.

"Perhaps we should try the cliffs instead," she suggested after she could have sworn she'd seen some shadow move in the woods.

"That would take far too long, not to mention neither of us are a healer so a fall like that wouldn't do good at all," the Fereldan swiftly rejected the idea. Pouting, Isabela continued along her.

The dead trees were only growing thicker, a cold wind blowing in through the hot air sending a chill up the pirate who was loosely garbed as it was. Something was out there, following along and stalking them beyond the light of the enchanted torch, she was certain of it. Isabela narrowed her brown eyes, trying to pick it out in the din. She couldn't just start claiming they were being followed by something, because then Terra was sure to tease her about being scared. Which she wasn't, she was simply being cautious for a change.

"Hawke..." She trailed off as a sneaking sensation rose up her back, a hand twitching for one of her twin daggers.

"You're fine Isabela," Hawke reassured her gently, turning and granting her a smile that made the pirate bite her lip. "Come here, if you're that scared," the redhead offered, holding her free hand to Isabela.

"I'm not scared," huffed Isabela, marching past the offered hand with her chin held high, a bit of extra 'ompfh' in her step. Terra sighed, amused and knowing she wasn't going to win that battle easy, and followed after the woman. They went about twenty more yards before Isabela started to get creeped out once more, dark eyes glancing around as they walked.

"All right Hawke," she sighed, "I'll admit I'm a bit... unnerved," Isabela looked to the woman besides her, who silently offered a hand for her to hold. The Rivaini accepted it, if not without a bit of pouting. Sure, it was nice to have someone who cared, but she didn't like not seeming like the fearless pirate she was, even if it were around Hawke. They walked together through the dense wood hand in hand, Terra silently comforting her as she held Isabela.

Uncertain of just how far in they were, Isabela was starting to think that they were lost. Without stars to see, and no real way to gauge direction in the twisting wood, the pirate rouge was worried. Not saying a word to her lover, she tugged on Hawke's hand towards a large dead tree and pulled one dagger from her hip and gouged a long mark across it. "There," she smiled, the simple act calming her nerves a bit, "we can start leaving a trail at least."

"Uh Isabela," Hawke's voice wavered, looking at something behind them, "I don't think cutting the trees is a good idea."

"What, why?" Isabela asked as she turned around, "It's not like-" She cut herself short as she was met with a looming, shadowy figure. Tendrils of smokey black were writhing on the ground, and rose about their height. The fog seemed to have come to life, a purple light in the center of the thickest part of the mass.

As they stared at it, uncertain if it would attack or not, Isabela felt her palms begin to drip and her blood run cold. "Hawke," she hissed with panic.

"I see it." Hawke sounded just as worried.

The mass slowly began to move towards them.

"Well, what are we going to do oh Champion?" Isabela snapped, eyes flicking between the redhead a step in front of her to the crawling fog. They would sometimes have trouble fighting spirits even with Merril and Anders with them or that man-woman Aveline, but just the two of them against something unknown was in no way stacking in their favor.

"Run!" Shouted Hawke, turning and tugging hard on Isabela's hand to get her moving. They heard a low bellow behind them, fear running cold down both of their bodies and making their legs move even faster. The thick underbrush snagged them time after time, making them trip and stumble to escape. As they ran the trees seemed to be reaching out to grab them, leaves and branches cutting them as they sprinted for their lives.

Isabela looked over her shoulder, chest heaving, and saw the mass of dark fog was actually pursuing them. "Terra, run! Faster!" Screamed Isabela, her voice pitching high. Despite it being a cloud of water and air, Isabela could hear the fog moving towards them with a hissing sound. An unearthly scream filled the air, black faces jumping from the trees and clawing at the two woman as they fled.

"I'm trying I'm trying!" Shouted back the Fereldan, jumping over a thick bramble of thorns. Isabela however, as she had been looking back to see where the fog was at that moment, went right into it.

"Shit! Terra! Help me!" Shrilly screamed Isabela, twisting wildly in the tall brambles as she tried to get herself out. The pirate's heart was racing fast in her chest as she failed several times over to get free, some part of her clothes snagging as soon as some other piece wasn't. Hawke, who'd been jerked back when Isabela tripped into the brambles, stumbled to her feet and rushed over to help her.

"Give me one of your arms," Hawke ordered firmly, though her whole body was drenched with fear. Isabela wordlessly complied, hands grabbing the other's forearm, and Hawke gritted her teeth as she heaved Isabela free from the torn bush. The moment she was on her feet, they both started running, uncertain where the fog was anymore but not willing to wait around to find out.

They kept running until the trees began to thin and the sky peaked out of the upper leaves. The forest started to space out, and a light came from ahead of them. "Look, the pond!" Shouted Hawke with relief, tugging a worn out Isabela along with her from the dark trees to where starlight sparkled on a calm pool of water. Warily they looked about them, the cliffs rose sharply, curling around the lip of the pool on all but the end they came from. The trees were few and far between, almost abruptly ending like they'd been instructed not to grow past a certain point.

Looking over her shoulder, Isabela saw the fog had calmed, no purple lights of dark faces watching or pursing them. She let out an audible sigh of relief. "Andraste's tits what was that?" She shook her head.

"I guess Sundermount is haunted in more than one place," Hawke suggested with a relieved laugh.

"The whole damn mountain is haunted!" Isabela scowled, brushing dirt off her long white shirt. "And filthy," she sniffed.

Hawke cocked a brow at her, and then with a shake of her head and a laugh, walked over and stayed her hands. "You're not going to get clean that way," she said.

"What, you actually want to go swimming? After we were chased by some angry fog spirit?" Skeptically asked Isabela.

With a shrug, Hawke slowly started to undo the strings on Isabela's bosom. "Well, we did just hike up here all day and get chased by Maker knows what though a horrid forest," she said slowly, looking right into the pirate's burning brown eyes. "Might as well come and do what we went through all this for."

"Which," Isabela smiled mischievously, "just to be clear, is sex." She pressed a finger against Hawke's chest, running it languidly down the red tunic she wore.

"Well after a bit of swimming-"

"No," the pirate cut Terra short, "After all that, we're having sex. Now."

Laughing, Hawke nodded her head. "Yes Captain, as you wish." She obeyed, hands lowering to remove the black corset Isabela had started to wear over the white shirt.

"Mhm, that's more like it dear," purred Isabela as she started to remove Hawke's clothing as well. The lingering bits of terror from the sprint were still on Isabela's mind as she got Terra out of her tunic, red cloth falling unceremoniously to the graveled floor, but as she focused on what she was doing she was able to push it to the side at least. Isabela stole the Champion's lips with a kiss, pressing herself against the shirtless woman before her. Leather pants came off the Champion nicely, Hawke finally getting the bits of clothing Isabela wore off as well. The sash and bandanna found themselves somewhere against a rock a bit away from them, casually discarded in a growing fervor.

Hawke wrapped her arms around Isabela, resting them on the dark skinned pirate's shoulders, and probed around for the small clasp to release the heavy jewelry she wore. A small gasp came from Isabela as cold air rushed against the freshly exposed skin, a shiver running up her spine. Smiling at the reaction, Terra gently removed it from Isabela, placing it at their feet instead of just dropping it to avoid damaging it. The pirate certainly wouldn't forgive her if she found a scratch on her favorite piece of jewelry.

Now between them all they wore were their small clothes and Isabela's thigh high boots. Hawke broke the kiss off, and then nuzzled against the Rivaini's neck, one kiss after another making its way up Isabela's skin. A hand slipped between dark brown curl's making Isabela crane her head back with a light groan and grind their hips together. She bit her lip as Terra moved up to a spot near her ear and jaw, one hand lost in a mess of hair while the other snaked down and grabbed her rump, hips grinding together.

Hardly able to think straight anymore, Isabela reached around and undid the rope binding Hawke's chest, and wrenched the cloth off the paler woman. A throaty laugh came from Hawke, and she nipped the Rivaini's ear. "A bit excited are we?" She teased, the hand on Isabela's rump moving down her leg to the lip of one of the woman's boots.

Instead of giving her an answer verbally, Isabela hopped up and wrapped her legs around the Fereldan's waist, Hawke stumbling for a moment to adjust and catch her but she certainly did. Isabela kissed Hawke square on the lips, tongue invading her mouth and claiming it for the pirate. The archer moaned into the kiss, the duelist's fingers moving through her hair and releasing it from the ponytail so it cascaded to the middle of her shoulders. Heat was swelling up both of them, skin on fire with every touch and chilled in the night air where it rushed over them.

Eventually Hawke stumbled and fell onto her back, landing on the softer gravel sand mix on the actual shore of the pool of clear water. They both laughed at the impact, Isabela shifting so she was straddling Hawke, poised above her in a manner than was driving the Champion wild with lust. Locks of dark hair fell around glistening skin, framing a stunning face that made the Fereldan pause for a moment and simply admire her lover. As Isabela at last removed her boots, sighing with relief as her knees were buried in the sand a bit, Hawke reached a hand out and caressed Isabela's face.

Burning brown eyes met amber ones, a slight furrow in the Rivaini's brow at the tender gesture. She was still getting used to these sort of feelings, even if she'd admitted to Terra how she felt already, and the simple action was making her nervous. Biting her lip, she tried to return the sweet gesture by leaning her head down to place one simple kiss on Hawke's lips, but it felt awkward and she found herself muttering an apology to Terra.

There was a light in the Champion's eyes as she laughed softly, and pulled Isabela in for a more romantic kiss. As they separated, she pecked the Rivaini's chin on the stud piercing. "Sweetheart," she assured her, "I like the wild passionate you as much as the genuine romantic one," Hawke whispered, "you don't have to try to be something you're not comfortable with."

"You're sweet," replied Isabela as she reached down and removed their soaked panties they both were still wearing and tossed them aside with her boots, "really," she said as she stretched herself above Hawke, chests pressing against each other, "but right now I just wanna be a pirate and claim your booty as mine."

Hawke burst into a fit of laughter, water welling up in her eyes before she could help it. "You did not!" She guffawed, wiping her eyes dry.

Smirking with self-satisfaction, Isabela ran a hand down Hawke's abdomen, loving the way the muscles contracted at her touch. "That I did landlubber," she said before slipping her fingers between Terra's thighs, making her gasp with want, eyes hazing over lustfully. Hawke reached for something to hold, her mind getting rather fuzzy with pleasure as Isabela slowly and teasingly slipped a pair of digits between moist southern lips. Eventually she settled for wrapping her arms around Isabela's neck, lifting herself a bit towards her and chin tucked with soft cries as Isabela pumped her fingers.

Searing, sticky, heat blazed between the paler woman's legs who was crying out with want as Isabela relentlessly thrust her fingers in and out, flicking her thumb against Hawke's pulsing clit every so often. It was driving the archer mad with passion, and right up a wall. Isabela gave a slight tug on the woman's wild hair with her teeth to get her to look up at her, and the moment she had she reclaimed her lips in a fierce kiss that only added to the moans coming from the Fereldan.

Before long Hawke was screaming out in pleasure, her abdominal muscles twitching and Isabela finding her fierce thrusts halted as inner muscles tightened. As the tide of pleasure ebbed away, Hawke lingering for a good while in the aftershocks, Isabela brought her damp fingers to her lips and languidly licked them clean with her tongue. Terra watched, transfixed on the action, until the Rivaini pirate was satisfied and stole a kiss from the Fereldan.

Tasting herself on Isabela, Hawke felt herself get aroused all over again as hands groped one another in passion. Deciding to please her lover just as she had been, the Champion deepened the kiss further, and her hands roamed down to rest at Isabela's hips. With a bit of force, she twisted and turned them so that Isabela was now on bottom, curling hair mixing with the sand. Spreading muscled legs, Hawke slowly broke the kiss with a bit of protest from her partner, until she'd lowered herself between moist thighs.

The Rivaini's hips jolted as she felt Terra's warm breath against her thighs, murmur of approval from Isabela who was cupping one of her breasts while another hand reached toward Hawke. Once she felt the first touch of the Fereldan woman's tongue against her burning want, the pirate started to moan. Hawke flicked her tongue tauntingly for a few beats, and then as Isabela gave an annoyed hiss for her to cut the teasing, Terra truly started to pick it up.

Isabela's hips jerked forward as heat built within her, the Champion of Kirkwall quite adept with her tongue in more ways than one. The Rivaini bit her lip to keep from crying out for her not to stop, to keep going harder and faster. She didn't like losing the dominant role when she took it, afraid that it would come across as begging at first until Terra hit a particularly sensitive spot and she threw it all to the wind. "Harder!" She demanded, just keeping her tone from picking up shrilly as she buried her fingers in Hawke's hair, tweaking her nipple with the other hand.

Complying, Terra did her best to please her. One hand reached down towards herself between her legs, fingering the still burning lust as she made Isabela begin to truly go mad with want as well. "Hawke!" Cried out Isabela, eyes shutting as she curled towards the woman, muscles spasming as pleasure surged up and swallowed her. Terra moaned with her, licking the mess up as the pirate took in short, heated breaths, coming down from the pleasuring high.

Hawke crawled up to Isabela's face, stealing a kiss and the pirate moaned once more in approval. Their tastes mingled, tongues fighting for dominance as hands started to explore once more. Dark fingers found their way to Hawke's red hair and the small of her back, holding her against her as if she was afraid of losing her. The paler woman grasped one of Isabela's bountiful breasts, while the other hand took the place of where her tongue had just been. Hips bucked forward at the tough, the slicked entrance welcoming to Hawke's touch. Meanwhile, Isabela had won the battle between tongues, and gave a throaty moan in approval of the fact.

They shifted, moving to lay on their sides together slightly rather than just one on top of the other. Terra gasped as Isabela broke the kiss and most of their contact just long enough to move her attention to Hawke's breasts. She licked her lips greedily before taking one in her mouth, tweaking the nipple and making lightning pleasure shoot up Terra. "Maker!" Moaned Hawke before she could help it, losing herself in lust as Isabela's other hand ran down her spine enticingly before slipping between thighs and a damp slit. A smirk of satisfaction ran across Isabela's face, the great and might Champion of Kirkwall crumpling at her touch with desire.

It didn't take long before Hawke started to scream out with incoherent wants and desires, and then come once more. She shuddered against Isabela, pressing heated skin to heated skin and moaning long and loud. The Rivaini waited for the tide of pleasure to ebb before she moved, nuzzling up to the tattooed face of the Fereldan, and giving her a series of short kisses. Hawke giggled foolishly as she looked at Isabela, love burning in her eyes and making the pirate pause for a second.

And then she noticed that in all their fun, they'd been covered quite a bit in the gravelly sand that clung to their damp skin on top of the dirt and mess from their flight in the woods. Laughing, Isabela got up and stretched herself in an overtly sexy manner, arms raised above her head as a hip jutted out with a faint sigh, and then held a hand out for a confused Terra. "All right, time for that swim then," she smiled.

"We're so going to defile that pure water," Hawke snickered as she accepted it, "You know that right?"

A toothy grin flashed on the pirate's face. "Oh I know,"


End file.
